HANDLING GUEST

COMPLAINTS
 What is a Complaint?

 “An expression of dissatisfaction made to an

hotel, related to its products or services, or the
complaints-handling process itself, where a
response or resolution is implicitly expected”

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 Why do customers complain?

 Their expectations have not been met!

 To release their anger
 To help in improve the service
 Because of concern for others who also use the
service

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Identifying a Complaint as a Gift
 Is a complaint a gift? Why?

 A complaint gives you the opportunity to:

 Increase customer trust
 Build long term relationships-
 customers will use your services again if they believe
complaints are welcomed and addressed
 Engage customers as advocates
 You automatically Engage your Customer
as your Advocate!

 Who is your advocate???

 A person who publicly supports or
recommends you
 Someone who speaks, or argues in your
favor

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Steps for Handling Customer
Complaints
 How to Handle Customer
Complaints

 Listen  Remember not to take it

 Repeat personally
 Apologise  Remain calm
 Acknowledge  Focus on the problem
 Explain action and not person
 Thank  Turn unhappy people into
happy customers
 Follow up
How to Handle Customer Complaints

 Address customers by name

 All communication should be in the first person.
 Use “I am sorry” not “we”
 Don’t make excuses or blame others in your hotel
 Give the customer your full attention and establish eye
contact
 Paraphrase their complaint in your own words to
determine whether you have correctly understood the
situation.
How to Handle Customer Complaints

 If you don’t know the answer to their problem, don’t

lie.
 Make the customer part of the solution
 not part of the problem
 Summary

 Be positive
 Take things professionally and not personally
 Aim for customer satisfaction, not just service
 Solve problems without blaming yourself or others
Thank You